Partners In Crime
by langstonlover
Summary: JT has to watch his baby brother Charlie while Anne takes care of some errands, and he soon learns that there's nothing that women love more than a man who's good with kids


JT parked the wagon outside of the bank in town. "Anne, can we please get lunch, soon?" He begged his step-mother. "I didn't have breakfast this morning and I'm starving." Anne sighed. "JT, I told you. We'll have lunch as soon as I get everything done in town." JT groaned and got down from the wagon. Running errands with Anne was his least favorite job. He'd much rather be helping bring in the wheat crop back at the ranch, with Rafe, Rock, and Joe...But since Anne needed help in town today, Rafe had sent him with her.

"How many more place do we have to stop at?" JT groaned. "Stop your complaining." Anne scolded him. "We've just gotta go to the bank and then we'll be finished." JT sighed. "Then can we have lunch?" He asked. Anne nodded, wrapping baby Charlie up in a blanket to keep him warm. "I promise sweetie. We'll eat right after I'm finished at the bank." She smiled and cupped a hand to JT's cheek. "Now, please. No more griping." She told him. JT grinned a little. "Alright." He agreed.

Anne kissed his cheek. "Good. Now follow me." She told him, and climbed the steps to the boardwalk. JT followed her until they reached the bank. "Okay, Charlie.." Anne said to her little three month old son. "You be good for your big brother while mommy goes to deposit our oil money." Charlie cooed at her and Anne kissed him. "Wait a minute..." JT started to protest. "You didn't say id have to watch him."

"Oh JT. He's a baby." Anne said, handing him baby Charlie. "He isn't that hard to keep track of. And besides that, he's your baby brother. You need to spend some time with him." JT sighed. "Fine. But if he spits up on me, it's your fault." Anne laughed. "Fair enough." She agreed. "Now take good care of him. I'll only be a few minutes." "Alright." JT told her, and sat down in a chair in the front room of the large bank building, with little Charlie in his arms.

He sighed and looked at the baby, who was currently starring up at him with big blue eyes, that were identical to his own. "Ya know, when you get a little older it'll be you that helps her run all of her errands." He said to the tiny infant. Charlie cooed and reached his tiny hand up, which he then used to cover JT's left eye. JT smiled. "What?" He asked. "You wanna play peek-a-boo." Charlie cooed happily. JT smiled, and covered his eyes with his left hand. Then he quickly pulled it away and shouted, "Peek-A-Boo!"

Charlie laughed. JT covered his eyes again. "Peek-A-Boo!" He shouted again. Charlie smiled great big and continued to laugh. JT chuckled. "I'm gonna get yer little tummy." He said, and gently blew on Charlie's soft little belly with his mouth. Charlie continued to laugh and grabbed at JT's hair with his little hands. "Now I'm gonna get yer toes." JT said in a baby talk voice and tickled Charlie's tiny feet. Charlie laughed even louder and kicked his little legs at JT.

JT smiled and lifted Charlie back up onto his shoulder. "Who's my little cowboy?" He asked him, pressing a kiss to his little cheek. Charlie cooed and rested his head against JT's shoulder. JT smiled and patted his little brother's back. He really did love little Charlie. Maybe Anne was right. Maybe he did need to start spending more time with his little brother.

JT was awaken from his daze when a soft feminine voice spoke to him. "Your baby's adorable." A young blonde woman told him. JT turned slowly to face her. His eyes went wide, as they usually did when he saw a pretty girl, and his heart started to pound. "Th..Thank you mam." He managed to mouth. "But..He ain't.." "Your wife is a lucky woman." The girl suddenly interrupted. "You have such a way with children."

JT grinned a little. "Actually..." He told her. "I ain't married." The girl gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "Oh you poor thing..." She said, reaching a hand out and stroking JT's thick dark hair. "It must be so hard raising a baby on your own." JT thought for a moment. Should he tell her that Charlie really wasn't his baby, and risk letting her walk away? Or should he go along with it and maybe get a date with this beautiful young woman?

He smiled to himself, and looked back at the young woman. "Yeah..." He said. "It's pretty tough... But little Charlie and I are doin' okay." The girl smiled at him. "Well, you're quite a trooper." She said. "And I think it's very sweet how you play with your son... I always love a man who's good with kids." She scooted a little closer to JT and placed a hand on his knee.

JT gulped. He was getting really nervous, but also really thrilled. "Mam, if it ain't to much trouble..." JT started to ask. "Would you mind meetin' me and Charlie down at Crazy Woman creek for a picnic on Saturday at around noon?" The girl smiled. "I'd love to." She said happily. Suddenly an old man walked up behind the girl. "Come on, darlin'." He told her. "We've gotta get home. Yer ma's probably got supper ready." "Alright, Pa." The girl said and got up to leave. "Oh, by the way..." She said to JT. "My name is Lauren." JT smiled. "I'm John Thomas Langston." He told her. "And I happen to think that Lauren is a very beautiful name."

The girl giggled and smiled at him. "Well I'll be looking forward to seeing you on Saturday, John Thomas Langston." She said. "And little Charlie too." She blew a kiss as she slowly walked away. JT smiled as he watched the girl walk out of the bank. God he hadn't had a date with a woman this hot in quite awhile. "Charlie.." He said to the baby in his arms. "You and me make a pretty good team." Anne came walking out of the back room of the bank as soon as the girl had left with her father.

"So..." She said, smiling. "Did you have a good time with your little brother?" JT smiled and nodded as he handed the baby back to Anne. "I sure did." He told her. "Good." Anne said happily, and kisses little Charlie on the cheek. "Now, let's head to the resturaunt and get something to eat." She said. "Sounds good to me." JT smiled and followed Anne as she walked out of the bank with baby Charlie. "Oh and Anne..." JT started to say. "Yes, sweetheart." Anne asked as she climbed up into the wagon seat with Charlie. "I'm gonna need to barrow Charlie on Saturday." Anne gave him a suspicious look. "What for?" She asked. JT looked at the little baby and grinned. "Well.." He explained to his step-mother. "He and I have a date with a pretty girl then. Isn't that right, Charlie." He asked and tickled his little brother's chin. Charlie giggled and looked up at JT with his pretty blue eyes.

Anne shook her head. "What on earth am I gonna do with you two?" She asked jokingly, smiling at her two sons. JT just smiled, and looked down at the giggling bright eyed little baby who was looking up at him happily with big, sparkling blue eyes.

One thing was for sure. There certainly were some perks that came with having a little brother.

THE END :)


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